Pencil point cleaner



Aug. 18, 1959 5 BENNETT 2,899,932

PENCIL POINT CLEANER I Filed Aug. 22, 1956 Fqz hz E'n [U .z' 16 777041145. flaw/var?- '3 ix V United States Patent O 'ice PENCIL POINT CLEANERLatham S. Bennett, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 22, 1956, Serial No. 605,659

-3 Claims. Cl. 120-108 This invention relates to a pencil point cleanerand particularly to a device which is useful for draftsmen and artistsin cleaning residual graphitic particles from pencil points after thesame have been sharpened by an abrading action as on sandpaper, emerycloth or a file. In a modification .of the invention, means are alsoprovided for cleaning draftsmens pens.

When a draftsmans or artists pencil is sharpened by abrading the point.on sandpaper, emery cloth, a file or the like, graphitic particlesadhere to the point and undesirably smudge the drawing. Heretofore theseparticles have generally been removed by wiping the point with a cloth.However, this procedure is troublesome and frequently-results inbreaking the pencil point, necessitating resharpening. Furthermore, thecloth is unsightly, frequently misplaced and cumbersome to use.

provide a pencil point cleaner which rests firmly on the draftsman stable or desk and which provides a resilient cleaning surface to whichparticles clinging to the'pencil point adhere when the latter is wipedthereon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pencil pointcleaner having a resilient cleaning pad that is readily removable from asupporting base for replacement or cleaning and that may be convenientlysecured in operative association with such base.

'Another object of this invention is to provide a pencil point cleanerwhich may readily be converted for use as a pen point cleaner wherein aresilient pad used for cleaning pencil points provides a cushion supportand holding means for a covering of pen point cleaning material.

The invention, in a preferred form, is shown on the drawings andhereinafter more fully described:

n the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a pencil point cleaner embodying theprinciples of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of such pencil point cleaner Figure 3 is asection on line III-III of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 showing the inventionas converted for use as a pen point cleaner.

As shown on the drawings, reference numeral designates a frusto-conicalbase portion which carries upwardly projecting cylindrical portion 11that may be integral therewith. The base portion 10 with its upwardlyprojecting cylindrical portion 11 may be formed integrally of moldedplastic, cast metal, or a block of wood or Wood laminate. As shown onthe drawing, the cylindrical portion 11 is open at its upper end and haslip structure or a circumferential lip 12 extending inwardly andsurrounding the opening, or throat thereof, so as to provide overhangingretaining means for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The upper face of the base member 10 is provided with a roundeddome-like protuberance 13 which extends upwardly into the recessprovided by the cylindrical member 11 defined at its upper end by theoverhanging lip 12 (see Figures 3 and 4).

-It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to Patented Aug.18, 1959 2 Y The pencil cleaner pad consists of a cylindrical memberoffoam rubber or similar material to which graphitic particles willadhere, said-cylindrical member having a diameter considerably exceedingits thickness and being designated by the reference numeral 14. V Thecylindrical member 14, being resilient and flexible, may be secured inassociation with the recess provided between the inner wall of thecylindrical member 11, the lower side of the overhanging lip 12, thedome-like protuberance 13, engaging the edges of said member 14 underthe overhanging lip 12. When so inserted, the dome-like protuberance 13causes the rubber pad 14 to assume a generally spherical form as to itsupper surface and it is this upper surface which provides the surfaceagainst which the pencil point may be wiped for cleaning graphiticparticles, etc. therefrom. In view of the foregoing dee scription it isapparent there is here provided a novel one: piece holder comprised ofthe elements 10, 11, 12 and 13 for holding the pad 15 in assemblytherewith.

In a modification of the invention shown in Figure 4, means are providedfor utilizing the device of this invention as a pen point cleaner forcleaning draftmens pens, etc. Toaccornplish this, a generally circularsheet of chamois or chamois-like material is spread over the surface ofthe pad 14 and engaged under the overhanging lip 12 between such uppersurface of the pad and the under: side of the lip. a

1 ,Either, with or without the chamois-like covering, the cleaning pad(and its covering if and when the same is used) readily may be removedfrom the base by merely bending the same upwardly and inwardly andwithdrawing it from underneath the overhanging lip 12.

The pencil cleaning pad being made of foam rubber or similar resilientand flexible material may be washed or otherwise cleaned and reused ormay be replaced by a new pad. The same is true of the chamois-likematerial 15 made for pen point cleaning purposes.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the device ofthis invention provides a pencil point cleaner which may be positionedon the draftsmans desk or table in a convenient position for use. Theresilient character of the cleaning pad 14 enables the draftsman toclean the pencil point after sharpening Without danger of breakagethereof. This advantage also accrues to use of the device as a pen pointcleaner since the resilient support for the chamois-like materialafforded by the pad 14 prevents injury to the delicate, carefullysharpened pen points used by draftsmen.

The easy removal and replaceability of the cleaning pad (and the cover15, when used) makes it possible to keep the device in operativecondition with a minimum of inconvenience.

I am aware that numerous details of this invention may be varied withoutdeparting from the principles hereof and I therefore do not proposelimiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than indicated by the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pencil point cleaner, a one-piece holder comprised of afrusto-conical base, a cylindrical extension projecting upwardly fromthe top of said base and having an open upper end, an inwardlyprojecting lip upon the upper end portion of said cylindrical extensionproviding an open throat portion, a dome-like projection centrally andintegrally arranged with the upper surface of said base extendingupwardly and spaced from the inner side wall of said cylindricalextension and terminating substantially at the throat portion thereof, acircular groove of semi-circular configuration in the upper surface ofsaid base between said dome-like projection and the side wall of saidextension and below said lip, a circular cleaning pad with cylindricalside portions composed of resilient foam rubber engaged between said lipand said circular groove at its circumference and with its base portionpressing against the upper surface of said dome-like projection of saidbase so that the upper surface, of said pad forms adome-like rubberprojection which projects through and above said throat and above saidnpur said cylindrical extension and an ink cleaning pad comprised of asuitable material such as chamois covering; the upper surface of saidcircular cleaning pad and removably arranged between the outerperipheral surface of said circular cleaning pad and the underside ofsaid lip,-thecleaning pads both being removable from assembly with theone-piece holder by merely bending the pads'upwardly and inwardly andWithdrawing them from underneath the lip.

2, In a pencil point cleaner, a one-piece holder comprised offrusto-conical base, a cylindrical extension projecting upwardly fromthe top of the base and having an open upper end, an inwardly projectinglip on'said cylindrical extension at said open upper end thereoffadome-like projection centrally arranged on the base and extendingupwardly within said cylindrical projection and spaced from the innersurface thereof and terminating substantially at the open end of saidcylindrical extension, a circular groove of semi-circular configurationin the top surface of said base between said dome-like projection andthe cylindrical extension, and a circular cleaning pad with acylindrical side wall composed of resilient foam rubber engaged betweensaid lip and said circular groove and secured solely by said lip at itsouter'circumference and said pad having its base pressing against thesaid dorne-like projection of said base imparting a spherical formto theupper surface of said pad which upper surface projects above the openend of said cylindrical side wall of said base, the cleaning pad beingremovable from assembly with the one-piece holder by merely bending thepad upwardly and inwardly and withdrawing it from underneath the lip.

3. In a cleaning device for pencils and the like, aonepiece holder and aresilient cleaning pad comprised ofre silient foam rubber and the like,the one-piece holder hav ing holder means maintaining the pad inremovable assembly therewith, said holder means including a base and anannular extension projecting above the base, the eX- tension having lipstructure extending inwardly over the base which defines a centralopening for receipt of the pad With the outer margin of the pad beingunderlapped under the lip structure in assembly with the holderstructure, said holder having means comprising a dome-like roundedprojection on said base disposed centrally of said annular extension andsaid lip structure which dome-like rounded projection cooperates withthe annular extension in maintaining the outer margin of the resilientpad bottomed against the underside of the lip structure to preventaccidental disassembly of the holder and the pad and which dome-likerounded projection is bottomed against l the underside of the pad with acentral areaof the pad assuming a dome-like rounded configurationprojecting substantially above the lip, the pad being removable'froniassembly with the holder by merely grasping the central area of the padhaving the dome-like rounded configure-1 tion and bending the padupwardly and inwardly and withdrawing it from underneath the lipstructure;

References Cited in the file of this patent NI ED T T S VBATENISLloberes Dec. 3, 1935

